Re: from linux-kernel

[Erik Walthinsen <omega@omegacs.net>]

> So for example, if you're currently running Windows, and you want to
> upgrade OS's, it's useful if you can mount the distribution CD long
> enough to browse the disk's documentation, or download boot floppy
> images (if their computer doesn't support the El Torito format), etc.

I'm getting this evil idea:

Build a CD with a full live filesystem, with lots of work done to make it
boot on *any* system (with the help of a floppy/initrd if you can't boot
from CD), autodetect everything, and do no writing to disk until it can
secure a small amount of space on an existing ext2 or *FAT partition
(which it would delete when it's done).  Heh, you could even have a
autorun.inf file that would try to safely shut down Windoze and run
loadlin....

Such a CD (if built with all the nifty features) would be an *amazing*
marketing tool.  You have a friend that is considering Linux, but is
unsure.  You hand them this CD/floppy set, and they can boot to a *full*,
live, working system without doing a thing to their harddrive except the
temporary space used on their FAT partition.

We could even set it up somehow with a full distrib on the CD (possibly in
an unpacked form so it's live), so they could actually install Linux on
their machine while demoing it!

While this is a long way off, I think it's something we can indeed do, and
should.  This would be the ultimate Windoze-killer, if we could get it
shipped with PCMag or some other high-volume mag.  Heck I'd settle for
c't in the first round.


     Erik Walthinsen <omega@seul.org> - SEUL Project system architect
        __
       /  \                SEUL: Simple End-User Linux -
      |    | M E G A            Creating a Linux distribution
      _\  /_                         for the home or office user
===
SEUL-Leaders list, seul-leaders-request@seul.org
===